Stained Glass
Repair & Restoration
When accidents happen
SPECIALISTS IN STAINED GLASS REPAIR & RESTORATION
With any leadlight, the stained glass pieces may get cracked, usually due to accidental impacts. The lead structure between the glass can also become stretched or broken from impact or extreme weather. Over a very long time, especially in the adverse conditions of a damp or corrosive atmosphere, the lead will break down.
We are happy to come and inspect to quote for any repair work and to advise all the options that are available to you. We can repair any genuine leadlight from china cabinets, doors & windows, chorch windows, lampshades or mirrors.
You are also welcome to bring any damaged items into our studio for assessment if they are portable or, we can even meet you at the gate to inspect it if it is in the back of your car!
EASY TO FIX, SOMEWHAT
Fortunately, because of the way the leadlights are constructed, broken glass pieces can always be replaced and damaged, or broken-down lead can also be repaired or fully restored.
“Lovely to see the windows back in place, you’ve done a fantastic job!”
Megan, Katikati
The Repair Process
We have a wide range of skills and materials to bring damaged leadlight and stained glass pieces back to life
REMOVING & REBUILDING
Best practice is to remove the leadlight from its frame, disassemble it and rebuild with the new repairs. If it is in an exterior wall or door, we fit a temporary panel while this is being carried out to ensure weather-tightness and security whilst the leadlight is away. We will then repair or replace any damaged glass or lead as required, clean and re-polish, ready to install.
For stained glass with a lot of lead damage, it’s often best to rebuild the lead structure from scratch, using all the original glass, plus any new glass if needed. This process ensures the best possible structural outcome.
Once repaired, the leadlight is refitted into its original structure on location.
Occasionally we can repair leadlight in-situ without taking it out of the frame, but that is not often the best course of action.
VINTAGE RESTORATIONS
Badly damaged or very old leadlights can be a challenge to extract and to handle, and we use extreme care to ensure their preservation.
Many of the glass types used in older leadlights have long been discontinued. It can be a challenge to match them when replacing broken pieces. We have a large hoard of old glasses available, but if we can’t match exactly, we can usually find something close enough to blend in with the original.
FIRE DAMAGE
Even leadlights damaged in a fire can often be restored. The lead will sometimes melt from the heat, but the glass will usually survive, even if badly cracked and coated in baked-on soot.